Case/Article Review 1

You have two minutes to read the enclosed article, and you will subsequently be asked a range of questions by the interviewer. You may wish to make notes, however please note you will not be allowed to refer to your notes or the article during the discussion.

A wife could face police investigation after taking her husband, who had multiple sclerosis, to a Dignitas flat in Switzerland where he died in assisted suicide. Sandra Barclay, 67, escorted her husband Andrew, 65, to the controversial clinic so he could end his life "which every day is a struggle from start to end".

Civil servant Mr Barclay had been told by doctors he could live for another 10 years but the grandfather-of-two said he was unwilling to endure total pain and paralysis for the rest of his days.

Currently assisted suicide and euthanasia are illegal in the UK. And under the Suicide Act 1961, anyone helping or encouraging someone to take their own life could face up to 14 years in prison, which means Mrs Barclay could face prosecution.

Today Mrs Barclay told The Telegraph: "The law needs to be changed."

But high-profile critics of assisted dying, such as Paralympian Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, said the law was in place for a good reason.

Average Candidate ResponseThis article is about assisted suicide, with a wife assisting her husband end his life, after suffering from MS.

​Excellent Candidate ResponseThere are a number of ethical issues raised in this article ranging from euthanasia to ‘trial by media’.

With regards to euthanasia, on one hand the wife’s actions can be seen to relieve her husband’s pain and assist in his autonomy. Whereas on the other hand, she is breaking the law and arguably degrading the life of numerous disabled people by suggesting that anyone with a quality of life similar to her husband, does not have a life worth living. Given his life expectancy of ten years, this is likely to encompass a large number of people.Another issue raised is whether the media should be publicising such actions, as they may encourage prosecution which may previously not have occurred, although contrastingly may encourage others to take similar action and travel to the Dignitas Clinic in Switzerland.

Finally, this case also highlights the importance of Palliative Medicine. Whilst significant advances have been made in recent years, it is likely that significantly more can be done to ensure the comfort of those during the last days, weeks and months of their life.